New Campaign Encourages Women To Self-Pleasure Every Day In May

In case it isn't marked in your calendar and highlighted in red, May is International Masturbation Month. That's one entire month dedicated to celebrating self-pleasure in all its many forms, and if you're keen to, erm, participate in the festivities then we might have just the thing for you.

Over on Instagram, The Self-Pleasure 30-Day Challenge is asking willing participants to masturbate every day for the entire month. It's as simple as that.

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The brains behind the challenge, Amy Baldwin and April Lampert, who co-host the Shameless Sex Podcast, say the intention of the challenge is to "help de-stigmatize #selfpleasure while also giving participants an opportunity to connect with their own pleasure/body on a deeper level."

You can join in just for fun (of course), or for the more hardcore participants, there is a competition element and the chance to wind prizes. All you have to do is send in an anonymous photo of yourself stating something about your current self-pleasure practice in 10 words or less.

Then, you have to send in a new anonymous photo for every week of the month, with an update on your self-love journey and what you've learnt along the way.

There are some rules though: participants aren't allowed to use sex toys or porn. Instead, they have to rely on just their hands and a healthy dose of imagination. And hey, no cheating...

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Speaking to the Metro, Amy and April explained: "The purpose of this campaign is to invite participants to fully connect with themselves and see what they may be missing out on now that all of the distractions have been removed."

"We are also inviting folks to make this a practice of presence and discovery with no goals of climax as people often miss out on the subtle sensations of the journey when they are so focused on the destination."

"It takes dedication and discipline as well as time and patience, and we live in a busy world where self-care is often put on the back-burner," they say. "This challenge invites participants to be in this together by holding themselves accountable because they know they have committed to 30 days of self-pleasure."

While there isn't a ton of research dedicated to the positive impacts of masturbation specifically, there are a few noted benefits to the practice, including reducing stress, relieving tension and improving your sex life.

According to Medical News Today, masturbating can also enhance your sleep, boost concentration and elevate your mood. It can also be beneficial to those experiencing menstrual cramps, alleviating pain.

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance journalist working for Pretty 52. After graduating from the University of Sussex, Ciara worked as a writer at GLAMOUR Magazine and later as the Assistant Editor of Yahoo Style UK. Please contact her on ciarasheppard@hotmail.co.uk.